If we are looking at stats we have to include 3rd down stop %. First 4 or 5 games this year they were in the top 1/3 of the league only giving up 1st downs at about a 37% clip. Since then they have regressed to 30th in the league giving 1st downs at a 44% clip on 3rd downs. The alarming part is that is up at around 55% over the last 3 games. This usually puts the Offense in a field position hole or as we have seen over the last few weeks they have trailed on the scoreboard early.

If we are looking at stats we have to include 3rd down stop %. First 4 or 5 games this year they were in the top 1/3 of the league only giving up 1st downs at about a 37% clip. Since then they have regressed to 30th in the league giving 1st downs at a 44% clip on 3rd downs. The alarming part is that is up at around 55% over the last 3 games. This usually puts the Offense in a field position hole or as we have seen over the last few weeks they have trailed on the scoreboard early.

Not a coincidence considering the timing of this decline is right in line with having lost Wilfork, Kelly and Mayo plus other injuries keeping certain key players out of games. What it means, as the title of this discussion states.. whoever has been tabbed to play D need to step up and play better.

BB needs to find some combination of players that can do more than stop a team only on the first two downs. Also, I wonder, what is the percentage of 3rd downs in which the Pats give up a first down when it is third and long? I have seen it happen way too often and I would think the Pats are one of the worst in the league?

"the current state of the NFL doesn’t require a top-flight defense for postseason success."

Not statistically, BUT if you look at the recent teams that have won wthout great defenses in terms of rankings, their defenses all "caught fire" towards end of season/playoffs, particularly in terms of hassling the opposing quarterback and winning the turnover battle.

The Super Bowl teams are by definition going to have good offenses, that's why they are there.

So, by definition, the winner tends to be the one with the most balance. Right now Seattle is playing the most balanced O and D in the league. But: defenses can go on a run. I'm not sure our defense can do that given the injuries, but if Talib and Dennard etc can get out there healthy, maybe they can play well enough.

I think it's time to admit that the defense probably will not get better. Not without Mayo, Wilfork, Kelly gone for the year. The defense has reverted to "bend but dont break mode" of the past few years. If Talib gets injured and misses any games, this defense will become historically bad. They already cannot stop the run, which they always did well in previous years.

I do not see how this defense can step up in the playoffs. Pray Talib is healthy, or it will be game over as soon as the playoffs start. Especially with an offense that is improving, but has significantly less talent than it did in 2010, 2011, and 2012.

Why do people believe Phat Virgin do be a Pats fan? Don't let Bustchise fool you. Our offense has let us down in numerous postseasons more so than our D.

This is all about Brady. Don't turn it over, we have a chance to win it all.

None of this 1 TD 2 or 3 INT game crap.

Now that our D is absolutely decimated and struggling through injuries, Bustchise wants to start a thread?

I want people healthy. Gronk. Talib, Chandler Jones this postseason, the guys struggling through their nagging issues, etc. We haven't had that in recent years. If that happens, the team will be as good as any other.

"the current state of the NFL doesn’t require a top-flight defense for postseason success."

Not statistically, BUT if you look at the recent teams that have won wthout great defenses in terms of rankings, their defenses all "caught fire" towards end of season/playoffs, particularly in terms of hassling the opposing quarterback and winning the turnover battle.

The Super Bowl teams are by definition going to have good offenses, that's why they are there.

So, by definition, the winner tends to be the one with the most balance. Right now Seattle is playing the most balanced O and D in the league. But: defenses can go on a run. I'm not sure our defense can do that given the injuries, but if Talib and Dennard etc can get out there healthy, maybe they can play well enough.

The problem is that the statement might very well be true about top defenses not needed for post season success....Except for our team. We have only scored 15 ppg in our last afc championship game and 2 SB appearances. Probably going to need defense if that's what we score on the biggest stage.

They are trying...but at some point injuries take their toll. For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction...as the D gets battered the O seems to be getting stronger. Does it balance it'self out...that's why the play the games.

I think the problem with the defense is it has stepped up...it's just that it's not very good. When these are you're contributers, you are going to allow points and long clock killing drives...

Arrington= Worst hips in football. Can't turn and stay with a receiver. In the slot he is quick enough to run a slant with a guy, but if the space he is covering allows for any movement beyond ten yards he is cooked. This is good? We got a guy that can only cover ten yards and this is a good thing? LMAO.

Gregory= Athletically limited, not tall enough, not big enough, can't cover a lot of ground. I've seen this guy miss on tackles so badly that he took out our own player. I thought we were going to be getting a Willy Clay type of guy that was always around the ball and had great instincts, instead we have a guy that suppossedly "knows the defense" yet can do nothing about it.

Vellano/Jones= Jones may of been a nice story coming off the bench as a situational pass rusher, but the both of these guys as regulars is a nightmare.

Hightower= I don't care that BB defended him when specifically asked about him last week, he has done nothing, he has been pulled. Watch him closely - most of the plays this defense is giving up in the running game and short passing game you will see his fat smiling face right in the middle of it. I see him actually jogging around out there like Adalious Thomas, but at least Thomas did something while he was here, he didn't go south until his last season with us when he developed his attitude problem.

Spikes=Playing hurt right now, but the fact remains that any good quarterback or coordinator will put in 10-15 plays a game that will target him in coverage...and they should be cause it is money in the bank.

We have two outstanding players on defense...one is playing with a bad hip and the other is Chandler Jones. I do think Dennard, Ryan and McCourty are good players, but when you have only one pass rusher you would have to be outstanding to save this defense.

The defense was fine until we lost our two starting tackles and our best LB. Not sure there's any way to recover from that. We just have to hope the defense executes to the best of their abilities, keeps opponents from running wild, and that the offense starts to rack up points like it did in 2011 and 2012.

Without the injuries, this team would be a great team, I think. Maybe one of the best Pats teams we've seen. With the injuries, it's more on par with the 2011 and 2012 teams. That means it has a shot at a championship, but it's not going to be easy.

I remain optimistic, mostly because this team seems to have all the intangibles of Belichick's best teams . . . mostly, it seems to have a winning attitude that allows it to pull out victories even in difficult situations.

No doubt, points given up has gone up significantly. Still, there is one quality about the defense that has remained consistent, that is a major difference from recent years. Anyone else notice how this team has an ability to make stops when it gets to crunch time? The Houston and Denver games are good examples.

As others, myself included, have said...it comes down to heath. If we can avoid further significant injuries and allow some of our walking wounded to heal, I think this team is going to be in good shape (considering).

The problem is that the statement might very well be true about top defenses not needed for post season success....Except for our team. We have only scored 15 ppg in our last afc championship game and 2 SB appearances. Probably going to need defense if that's what we score on the biggest stage.

True, we can point to some specific reasons this happened.

#1 - In SB42, the Giants D played lights out and far better than everyone expected in that game. Given this same offense scored 38 points on it earlier... after a few hot playoff games and some film time, they threw everything, including the kitchen sink, at the Pats O-line and Brady to disrupt that offense. The Pats just couldn't make the adjustments consistently. One thing, on both TDs the Pats scored in that game, they went to a quick hitting passing game and moved down the field fairly easily. Why they didn't keep this up until the Giants could stop that, no one knows. Whenever it tried to go back to stretching the field, meaning Brady needed time to pass, it wasn't happening.

"The Patriots are ranked 10th in points allowed this season (21.8), but were second through five weeks (14.0) and fifth through eight (18.0), so the decline has been steep. The fledgling run defense, which surrendered 301 yards in the last two weeks, has been the main culprit, and that can’t be too unexpected after the losses of Vince Wilfork, Tommy Kelly and Jerod Mayo.

While there’s no stat more important than points, as Bill Belichick often preaches, the current state of the NFL doesn’t require a top-flight defense for postseason success. The last five Super Bowl champions have been all over the map, with the Ravens ranking 12th (21.5 points allowed per game), the Giants 25th (25.0), the Packers second (15.0), the Saints 20th (21.3) and the Steelers first (13.9)."

"The Patriots are ranked 10th in points allowed this season (21.8), but were second through five weeks (14.0) and fifth through eight (18.0), so the decline has been steep. The fledgling run defense, which surrendered 301 yards in the last two weeks, has been the main culprit, and that can’t be too unexpected after the losses of Vince Wilfork, Tommy Kelly and Jerod Mayo.

While there’s no stat more important than points, as Bill Belichick often preaches, the current state of the NFL doesn’t require a top-flight defense for postseason success. The last five Super Bowl champions have been all over the map, with the Ravens ranking 12th (21.5 points allowed per game), the Giants 25th (25.0), the Packers second (15.0), the Saints 20th (21.3) and the Steelers first (13.9)."

"The Patriots are ranked 10th in points allowed this season (21.8), but were second through five weeks (14.0) and fifth through eight (18.0), so the decline has been steep. The fledgling run defense, which surrendered 301 yards in the last two weeks, has been the main culprit, and that can’t be too unexpected after the losses of Vince Wilfork, Tommy Kelly and Jerod Mayo.

While there’s no stat more important than points, as Bill Belichick often preaches, the current state of the NFL doesn’t require a top-flight defense for postseason success. The last five Super Bowl champions have been all over the map, with the Ravens ranking 12th (21.5 points allowed per game), the Giants 25th (25.0), the Packers second (15.0), the Saints 20th (21.3) and the Steelers first (13.9)."

The Patriots are 24th in opponents' yards per rushing attempt. They're tied for 13th in the league (four way tie, spots #13 to #16) in opponents' rushing touchdowns allowed. They're #1 in the NFL in limiting long runs -- the longest run from scrimmage allowed all year was 30 yards.

They're tied for seventh in the NFL (two way tie) in terms of yards per pass attempt. They're tied for eighth in the NFL (3 way tie) in interceptions. They're #1 in the NFL in terms of opponents' percentage of passes completed (55.6%). They're tied for 13th (three way tie) in terms of touchdown passes allowed.

"The Patriots are ranked 10th in points allowed this season (21.8), but were second through five weeks (14.0) and fifth through eight (18.0), so the decline has been steep. The fledgling run defense, which surrendered 301 yards in the last two weeks, has been the main culprit, and that can’t be too unexpected after the losses of Vince Wilfork, Tommy Kelly and Jerod Mayo.

While there’s no stat more important than points, as Bill Belichick often preaches, the current state of the NFL doesn’t require a top-flight defense for postseason success. The last five Super Bowl champions have been all over the map, with the Ravens ranking 12th (21.5 points allowed per game), the Giants 25th (25.0), the Packers second (15.0), the Saints 20th (21.3) and the Steelers first (13.9)."